There has been many attempts in the past to control snoring and bruxism by means of appliances which are intended to keep the jaws apart and keep the tongue in a forward position where it does not interfere with the nasal pharyngeal air passage.
One of the most advanced of such devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,227 Samuelson. In this disclosure the tongue is held into a pocket by suction forces applied over almost the entire surface of the tongue. The device completely obstructs the mouth and does not provide for alternate breathing in case of clogging of the nose.
There is a need for an oral appliance for controlling snoring and bruxism that is relatively light, small, comfortable and safe.